Zipper



med nec. 2v, 1965 1m28, 1969 V.N.HYTONEN 3,423,801

Z IPPER I Sheet of 4 Filed Deo; 27, 1965 Jan.` 28, 1969 v. N. HYToNEN 3,423,801

ZIPPER 1 Sheet 7' 014 Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Jan.` 28, 1969 v. N. HYTONEN 3,423,801

ZIPPER Filed nec.' 27, 1965 Sheet 3 "of 4 United States Patent O 3,423,801 ZIPPER Valio Nikodemus Hymnen, lonliolantie 3, Helsinki, Finland Filed Dec. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 516,238 Claims priority, application Finland, Jan. S, 1965,

29/65; Dec. 3, 1965, 2,920/65 U.S. Cl. 24-201 16 Claims Int. Cl. ALE/lh 19/02 ABSTRACT F Til-IIE DSCLSURE The invention concerns a zipper comprising two members provided with ribbons, the zipper being closed by pressing the members together and opened by bringing the members apart, or lby using a lock which by drawing in one direction -brings the members together and by drawing in the other direction brings the members apart.

Such zippers are known where the inner edge of the ribbon of both members are provided with metal hooks in succession at certain intervals. These hooks are r-unning zigzag with respect to each other in the two members one side surface of the part extending from the edge of the ribbons is provided with a projection and the other side surface is provided with a corresponding depression. Thus, on closing the zipper by a lock both members hook into each other in such a way that the projection of a hook on one member always goes into the depression of a hook on the other member. However, such zippers have many marked disadvantages. Thus, they may open up quite easily when subjected to tension in the transverse direction, especially if the Zipper hooks are worn from use. Furthermore, if rubbish, dirt, or the like, has gotten between the hooks they will take an oblique position relative to the edge of the fastening ribbon and no longer will hook into each other when the zipper is closed by the lock, so that the zipper is unfit for use, because it is almost impossible to repair it. Furthermore, the edges of members of the above mentioned type are rough due to the hooks and are by no means pleasant, for instance, if the zipper is located at the opening of a pocket.

Such zippers are also known where the individual clos- Aing elements of both members, the so-called male and female elements, are bent from narrow-thin metal strips. Thus, to form the male elements the strip is bent to a loop-shaped head and to opposite sides after the neckportion, and then inwardly to attach the element to the ribbon to form a run of closing elements. The female elements again are made in such a way that the lower middle portion of the element facing the ribbon is plane and then both ends of it are first bent upwardly and then inwardly, so that a central opening for the head of the punch element is formed.

In addition, the lower part of each female element may have a punched point for fixing the elements to the ribbon to form a run of closing elements. The zipper made up of the above-mentioned elements is closed by pressing the heads of the punch elements one after another into the central openings of the matrice elements and the zipper is opened by the opposite move. However, the

` manufacture of such small individual closing elements and fastening them to the ribbon, or directly to the fabric, makes the zipper expensive. Furthermore, this type of a ICC zipper, perhaps better called press chain, will open up easily, because the strips forming the central opening 0f the female elements must Ibe flexible enough so that the head of the male elements can pass through the opening mentioned by just pressing it.

The purpose of this invention is to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages and the main characteristic feature of the invention is that both members comprise a thin uniform strip of sheet metal, provided with transversal slits or cuts in succession at certain intervals to accomplish flexiblity, which strip is bent to an openlooplike ridge viewed in cross-section, extending over its entire length, at which in closing the zipper the ridge of one member can be pressed into the ridge of the other member through the open neck portion, thus locking the ridges to each other. According to one favourable working example of the invention the ridge of both members is located substantially at the centre of the strip at which one edge or both edges of the strip are provided with projections, teeth, or the like, for fastening the ribbons, such slits or cuts being provided at least at each tooth.

Many marked advantages are obtained with the zipper according to the invention if compared with previously known zippers. Because both members comprise a uniform metal strip catching to each other no such parts exist, e.g. hooks, which are able to take a position that would make locking impossible. Due to the uniform metal strips the members are quite stiff and thus provide support for the edges of the opening to be closed, for instance, when the zipper is fixed to the opening of a pocket, or to the leg of a shoe. Nevertheless, the zipper is flexible enough due to the transversal slits or cuts provided the metal strip which make up both members. The zipper, according to the invention, is also extremely reliable and will not open even when subjected to transverse tension. Furthermore, the manufacture is easy and simple, and likewise the fixing of the metal strips to the ribbons. On this account the zipper will be cheaper than those previously known.

The invention is clarified further in the specification below and in the enclosed drawings, in which FIG. l presents from above a portion of the female member of the zipper, according to a first working example of the invention, partially fastened to the ribbon of the Zipper, FIG. 2 presents a cross-section of FIGURE l taken on the line II-II,

FIG. 3 presents a cross-section of the zipper with the male and female members in a closed position,

FIG. 4 presents from above a portion of the metal strip used for making the members of the zipper according to a second working example,

FIG. 5 presents from above a portion of the metal strip used for making the members of the zipper according to a third working example,

FIG. 6 presents from above a member, according to a fourth working example, before fastening to the ribbon,

FIG. 7 presents a section through the slit of a zipper made from the metal strip presented in FIGURE 5 or 6, in closed position and provided with ribbons,

FIG. 8 presents a cross-section through the slit of the zipper according to a fifth Working example, in closed position and provided with ribbons,

FIG. 9 presents a cross-section of the zipper according to FIG. 7 in closed position and fastened to the counter part, and FIG. 10 presents in the same Way as FIG. 9

v the zipper fastened to the counterpart with the female member connected to the ribbon in a different manner.

The zipper according to the invention is only a few millimeters wide and comprises a female member including a ribbon, male member likewise including a ribbon, and possibly a lock for closing and opening the zipper.

Both halves are preferably made from a long, thin, and narrow strip of steel, copper-tin or copper nickel alloy, which is cut to pieces corresponding to the desired length of the zipper.

According to FIGURES 1-3 projections or teeth 2 are punched into one edge of the metal strip 1, as well as transversal slits 3 into the centre of the strip at a distance from each other. Furthermore, the edge of the strip opposite to the teeth 2 is provided with a bend 18. The outer half 4 is bent longitudinally in such a way that a ridge 5 is formed along the centre of the strip, the cross-section of which is shaped as an open loop. This shape of the ridge reminds of the cross-section of a pressbutton, i.e., a loop with a neck-portion and a main portion. The ridge 5 of the loop in the case presented is not symmetrically located in relation to the centre-line of the neck-portion 6, but its outer edge is somewhat larger than the inner edge. Naturally, the ridge 5 may also be symmetrical. An edge-portion 7 covering the entire length of the member remains between the neck-portion 6 and the teeth. The female-half 4 is usually fastened to a ribbon 8 of cloth by means of the teeth 2, which are clinched on the other side of the ribbon, so that the clinched toothends almost entirely will surround the edge of the ribbon, as shown in FIG. 2.

The shape of the zipper male member 9 almost corresponds to that of the female member 4, it is made of a similar metal strip and the outer edge is fastened to the ribbon 12 in the same manner as the female member 4. The ridge 10 at the centre is also provided with perforated or punched slits or cuts over the entire length. It differs from the female member 4 in that a cross-sectional view discloses that the ridge 5 of the loop is smaller, the neckportion is narrower and longer and the inner edge provided with the bend 18a is longer than corresponding parts of the loop of the female member 4, so that the loop of the male member 9 lits into that of the female member. Otherwise, these loops chiefly correspond to each other as far as shape is concerned and both of them may be symmetrical or similarly unsymmetrical in relation to the vertical centre-line of the neck-portion.

When the zipper-halves members 4 and 9 at the end of the zipper, inside of the lock not presented in FIGURES 1-3, are brought to grip into one another according to FIGURE 3, at which the ridge 10 of the male member 9 is situated inside of the ridge 5 of the female member 4 and the lock is drawn towards the opposite end of the Zipper, the lock continuously pushes and presses the ridge of the male member into that of the female member, so that the ridge 10 of the former finally will locate inside of the ridge 4 of the latter along the entire length of both members. The zipper is now closed in which position the edge of the female member 4 provided with the bend 18 rests on top of the edge of the male member 9 on the ribbon 12 side, and the edge of the male member provided with the bend 18a is situated under the clinched side of the male member. Opening of the zipper is carried out by drawing the lock in the opposite direction, so that the members are released from each other.

In order to make the above type of zipper more flexible, both halves are made from the metal strip 1 presented in FIGURE 4 by bending in the manner described above. The thing that differs in comparison with the metal strip according to FIGURE l is that the slit 3 punched at each tooth 2 extends about to the edge on the toothside of the strip 1 and in addition, that the other end of the slit 3a punched between every two teeth 2 extends open to the edge between the teeth. The opposite ends of all slits 3 and 3a relative to the teeth extend to a given distance from the edge of the strip 1, so that an edging is obtained which is formed to a bend 18.

Both side edges of the metal strip 1 according to FIG- URE 5, used for making the members in accordance with one working example of the invention, are provided with teeth 2 punched at a distance from cach other. These are always situated on one edge between the teeth on the other edge, i.e., they are situated in a zig-zag to each other on the opposite edges of the metal strip. At the same time a transversal slit 3 is punched into the metal strip 1 at the middle of each tooth 2, which slit extends from within the tooth to the opposite edge of the strip, and is narrowed at the end of the tooth. Thus a strip is obtained which is extremely flexible in the direction vertical to its plane.

FIG. 6 presents from above the female member of the Zipper according to one working example of the invention. The metal strip 1 making up the members differs from the strip according to FIG. 5 in that the teeth 2 on the opposite edges are situated against each other, and that the transversal slits 3 at the teeth only reach to the edges of the strip 1, or somewhat beyond the edges.

The zipper of which a cross-sectional view is presented in FIG. 7 can be made from metal strips 1 according to FIGURES 5 and 6. The female member 4 of the Zipper is made by bending a ridge 5 along the centre of the strip with a cross-section forming of an open loop the neckportion of which extending to the plane edge-portion 7 of the strip 1. In the case presented the ridge 5 is not symmetrical relative to the central vertical plane. The left side of the ridge in FIG. 2 is slightly longer than the right side although the ridge may also be symmetrical. According to FIG. 2 a ribbon 8 is fixed by means of the teeth 2 to both edges of the female member 4 of the above-mentioned zipper in such a way that the teeth first pass through the ribbon from above and then distance along its lower surface so that the end of the tooth 2 is clinched around the edge of the ribbon.

The male member 9 is made from the metal strip 1 according to FIG. 5 in the same manner as the female member 4. The male member 9 is also provided with a longitudinal, the cross-section of which is chiefly of the same shape as the ridge 5 of the female member 4, but still small enough to fit into the ridge S of the female member :t in order to close the zipper. Also, the neckportion 11 is longer and thinner than the corresponding part 6 of the female member 4 because it must extend below the outer half for attachment to ribbon 12 by means of the teeth 2a at both edges, i.e., along two rows of teeth. In order to make the neck-portion 11 of the male member shorter, in other words the entire zipper flatter, the ribbons may be fastened to the edges of the female member in the manner shown in FIGURES 8 and l0, i.e. the teeth 2 pass through the ribbon from below. The zipper made from the metal strip according to FIG. 5 is extremely elastic in the direction vertical to its plane. A zipper like this can be closed simply by pressing the ridge 5 of the female member over the ridge 9 of the male member, or by pushing the ridge of the male member into that of the female members, and it can be opened by detaching the members from each other.

However, the zipper also may be provided with a suitable lock, which closes the zipper on drawing in one direction and opens it on drawing in the other direction.

A zipper presented as a cross-section in FIG. 8 can be made from metal strips 1 according to FIGURES 5 and 6. The ridge S of the outer half 4l of this zipper is bent in such a way, that its upper surface is plane and the edges are about triangular in shape. The member 4 is xed to the ribbon 8 in such a way that the edge of the ribbon reaches to the neck-portion 6 Where the teeth 2 pass through the ribbon from below and the ends of the teeth are bent to the upper surface of the ribbon. In a corresponding manner a narrow ribbon 13 is fastened to the other edge of the female member 4 by means of teeth 2. The upper surface of the ridge 1G of the male member 8 is also plane but the edges are bent. In the case presented the left side of the ridge 5 of the female member as well as of the ridge 1t) of the male member 9, counting from the vertical centre-line is wider than the right side. When the female member 4 is shaped according to FIG. 3, the

edges of the ridge 5 are covering the teeth 2 entirely so that only the plane upper surface and the edges of the female member ridge of the zipper are visible when fixed in place and in the closed position. The lock 14 to be used `for a zipper of this kind has a cross-section which chiefly corresponds to the cross-section of the ridge 5 of the female member 4, while the edges of the look glide along the outer edges of the ridge 5 on closing and opening the zipper.

In FIG. 9 one ribbon 8 of the female member of the zipper according to FIG. 7 is turned for instance, around the edge of the seam 15 of a blouse and is fixed at point 16 by sewing. Similarly, the other ribbon 8 of the outer half is fixed to the salme seam 15 at point 17 by sewing. Again, the ribbon 12 of the male member 9' of the zipper is sewed to the other seam of the blouse in such a way that the seams will be situated opposite each other.

The working example according to FIG. is otherwise similar to that presented in FIG. 5 except that the ribbons 8 are joined to the female member 4 of the zipper by means of teeth 2 which pass through the ribbons from below and then along the upper surface to and around the edge lof the ribbon 8i. In this way the zipper will be flatter.

As shown in FIGURES 9 and l0i the examples chosen to demonstrate the applicability of the zipper will leave the zipper entirely invisible outwardly because the other seam of the blouse will cover it entirely. A zipper of this type is closed without a lock just by pressing the female member on top of the male member and is opened -by the opposite movement.

Naturally, the invention is not restricted only to the above presented `working examples, but it may vary considerably within the scope of the invention with respect to details. This concerns particularly the shape of the cross-section of the ridge of the members, the size of the slits or cuts in the ridge, as well as their mutual distance. Also, teeth or projections may exist on one edge (FIGS. 1-3) or on both edges of each member, either at a distance from each other or joining each other at the base. Correspondingly, if teeth or projections are provided only on one edge (FIG. 4) of the metal strip, or if they are situated zigzag on opposite edges (FIGS. 5-8), every two adjacent teeth or projections on the same edge may be situated either at a distance from the slit extending open to this edge, or the base of adjacent teeth may unite with the edges of the open slits.

What is claimed is:

1. A zipper for connecting the edges of adjacent sheets of material comprising:

a resilient female member carried by the edge of one of the sheets to be connected, said member extending the length thereof and having a transversely intermediate portion formed into an upwardly projecting ridge, said ridge forming a longitudinal channel having a reduced width neck portion adjacent the mouth thereof, and

a resilient male member carried by the edge of the other one of the sheets to be connected, said male member being coextensive with said female member and substantially conforming in cross section thereto,

said male and female members having a plurality of spaced slits extending transversely across the width of said ridge.

2. A zipper as set out in claim 1 wherein said male and female members are provided with a plurailty of teeth along one longitudinal edge thereof for attaching each of said members to a ribbon for subsequent attachment to the sheets to be connected.

3. A zipper as set out in claim 1 wherein the upwardly projecting ridge of said male and female members is unsymmetrical with respect to the center line of the reduced width neck portion of the channel formed thereby.

4. A zipper as set out in claim 1 wherein said plurality of transversely extending spaced slits terminate short of the longitudinal edges of said members.

5. A zipper as set out in claim 1 wherein the upstanding ridge of said female member has an upper surface substantially parallel to the tranverse edge portions of said member and wedge-shaped shoulders and wherein the upstanding ridge of said male member has an upper surface substantially parallel to the transverse edge portions of said members and rounded shoulders.

6. A zipper as set out in claim 2 wherein the number of said slits is at least as large as the number of said teeth.

7. A zipper as set out in claim 2 wherein every second one of the slits of said male and female members extends through said member to the lingitudinal edge thereof.

8. A zipper as set out in claim 2 wherein the number of said slits is twice the number of said teeth, one of said slits being located transverse of each of said teeth and one of said slits being located midway between adjacent ones of said teeth.

9. A zipper as set out in claim 8 wherein each of said slits located transversely of one of said teeth extends into one of said teeth and wherein each of said slits located midway between said teeth is eut through the longitudinal edge of said member provided with said teeth.

10. A zipper as set out in claim 9 wherein the end of each of said slits extending into one of said teeth is narrower in width than the other end of said slit.

11. A zipper as set out in claim 1 wherein said male and female members are provided with a plurality of teeth along both longitudinal edges.

12. A zipper as set out in claim 11 wherein the teeth provided along the opposite edges of said members are located alternatively along the length thereof and wherein said members have the same number of slits as teeth, each of said slits being transverse of one of said teeth and cut through to the longitudinal edge of said member opposite to said one of said teeth.

13. A zipper as set out in claim 11 wherein said teeth are located in opposing pairs and wherein said each of said slits is located transverse of one of said opposing pairs of teeth and extends into said opposing teeth at least as for the longitudinal edges of said members.

14K. A zipper as set out in claim 13 wherein the opposing teeth of said male member pass through said ribbon from one side, are bent toward each other along the other side of said ribbon, and pass at least a portion of the way through said ribbon from said other side.

15. A zipper as set out in claim 2 wherein the teeth of said members pass through said ribbon and are bent around the edge thereof.

16. A zipper as set out in claim 11 wherein the opposing teeth of said male member pass through said ribbon from one side, are bent toward each other along the other side of said ribbon, and pass at least a portion of the way through said ribbon from said other side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 993,281 5/1911 Todd. 2,000,466 5/ 1935 Howard. 2,568,969 9/1951 Reiss. 2,901,788 9/1959 Fitting. 3,111,735 11/1963 Ellis.

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner. 

